US869022A - Beer-keg washer. - Google Patents

Description

- PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907. G. E. R. ROTHENBUGHER.

BEER KBG WASHER.

APPLIGATION FILED DBO. 2z, 190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@50i/humaan m L W PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907.

` G. E. R. ROTHENBUGHER.

'BEER KEG WASHER. APPLICATION FILED 1120.22. 190e.

' 2 SHEETS-HEBT 2.

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fus NaRRls PET GEORGE E. R. ROTHENBUOHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BEER-KEG WASHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed December 22,1906. Serial No. 349,069.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. R. ROTHENB nonna, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beer-Keg Washers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device showing a keg in position thereon; Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view thereof on the line II-H of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 a similar view on the line III-Ill of Fig. 2 Fig. 4 a horizontal sectional view on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 an elevation showing akeg in position and in section, Fig. G a detail side elevation of the nozzle; and Fig. 7 a detail vertical sectional view thereof on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

One of the many objects of the invention is to provide a beer keg washing device of simple and very strong construction on which the keg may be placed and slightly rotated about a vertical axis for the purpose of opening a valve and permitting the washing fluid to enter the keg. The machine is so constructed that a keg may be readily placed thereon, a cradle being provided to receive it and a spraying nozzle being arranged to extend through the bung hole. Thisnozzle is so constructed that the washing fluid will issue therefrom in outward enlarging sprays directed against the ends of the keg, and particularly towards the corners formed by the staves and the ends of the keg. l have found that most of the dirt and gum and foreign matter accumulates at this point.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the frame or casing of the machine which is supported by the standards 2. The casing is formed with two lower inlet chambers 3 and 4 into which extend the fluid delivery pipes. The washing fluid, preferably water, is delivered into the said chambers through pipes 5 and 6, and passes from them to the next washing machine, where two or more are connectedl together, through pipes 7 and 8. The casing 1 is also formed with two outlet chambers 9 and 10, each of said outlet chambers being connected to one of the inlet chambers through suitable valvecontrolled openings 11. The outlet chambers are in communication with a single vertical outlet passage 12 extending upward through the neck 13 of the casing.

Controlling communication between the inlet chamb'ers and the outlet chambers are two valves 14 and 15, each of said valves being provided with a horizontal valve stem 16 which extends through a sleeve 17 screwed into the side of the casing. This sleeve at its inner end carries a valve seat 18 which is threaded in the wall between the inlet and outlet chambers. Each valve is held on its seat by a spring 19, said spring being in turn held in position by means of a screw plug 20 threaded in the casing. It will, of course, be understood that thespring may be'held in place by any suitable means, the screw plug being used merely for the purpose of facilitating the insertion of the valve and the removal of it should it at any time need repair. The ends of the valve stem project beyond the casing on the same side thereof, their outer ends being engaged by the valve-operating arms 21 which are'pivoted on the end of the casing and extend over the ends of the valve stems, the free ends of said arms engaging a keeper 22 secured to the valve casing and holding said arms in position. When the valves are seated the valve stems are projected to their fullest extent and the valve-operating arms engage the inner side of the keeper, as shown very clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Mounted to rotate horizontally around the neck 13 of the casing is a keg-supporting cradle 23, said cradle being provided with a central tubular base 24 which receives the neck of the casing, the lower edge of said base resting on the shoulder 25 at the lower. end of the neck.

This base is provided with arms 2G which are adapted to receive the keg and hold it in position to be washed.

Secured to or formed-integral with the base of the cradle are two downwardly extending valve-operating lugs 27, said lugs-being adapted to engage the valveoperating arms and to force them inward'to open the valves when the cradle is rotated about the neck of the machine, as will be more fully hereinafter described, said valve-operating lugs being on opposite sides of the casing as shown clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Extending outward from the casing on the opposite side thereof from the keeper 22 is a limiting-stop 28 against which one of the valve-operating lugs contact to prevent the opposite lug engaging the keeper, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

Secured to the upper end of the neck of the casing by screw-threads, or other suitable means, is an upward extending spraying-nozzle 29, said nozzle being provided with a flange 30 near its lower end adapted to extend out beyond the neck and to hold the cradle in place on the neck against accidental upward removal therefrom. The nozzle is provided near its upper end with the two flattened portions 31 which are perforated, the walls of the perforations converging in such manner that the spray issuing therefrom will enlarge outwardly in the shape of a cone, the spra'y from said perforations being directed toward the ends of the keg. The upper end of the nozzle is perforated with smaller holes to permit a small portion of the washing fluid to spray into the upper portion of the keg when the keg is in position on the cradle.

The operation of the invention may be briefly described as follows-Hot and/cold water are supplied to the chambers 3 and 4 through the inlet pipes. A keg to be washed is placed on the cradle with the nozzle extending into the keg through the bung hole. The keg and the cradle are then turned to cause one ofthe valveoperating lugs to engage its valve-operating arm and to force it inward sufficiently to open the coperating valve. This permits water to tlow from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber and thence upward through the spray nozzle. From this nozzle it issues in two outwardly enlarging conical sprays which are directed against the ends of the keg and into the corners formed by the staves and ends. It is usual to wash the kegs iirst with hot water in order to dissolve the gum formed therein by the beer, it being practically impossible to draw all the beer from the kegs. The Washing with hot water is continued until the keg is clean then the cradle is rotated to bring the other valve operating lug into contact with its valve operating arm to open the valve admitting cold water to the nozzle. After the keg has been washed sufficiently with the cold water the cradle is returned to its normal position to permit the cold water valve to close and the keg is then removed. It will, oi course, be understood that any desired washing fluid may be used, but l prefer to use hot and cold water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A keg washing machine comprising a base having two inlet chambers and two outlet chambers, each inlet chamber being in communication with its outlet chamber, valves between said chambers, springs normally holding said valves closed, a valve stem connected to each of said valves and projecting horizontally beyond the base, valve operating arms pivoted on the base, one of said arms engaging each ot' the valve stems, a keeper to hold said arms in eng gement with the valve stems, an upward extending tubular neck formed on the base and connected at its lower end with the outlet chambers in the base, a rotatable keg' support mounted on said neck and provided with upwz d extending keg supporting arms and with outward and downward extending' valve operating lugs. each of which is adapted to engage its corresponding valve-operat ing arm when the keg support is rotated in the proper direction, whereby when the keg support is rotated in one direction one of the valves will be opened, and when it is rotated in the opposite direction the other valve will be opened.

2. A keg washing machine comprising a base having two inlet chambers and two outlet chambers, each inlet chamber heilig in communication with its outlet chamber', valves between said chambers, springs normally holding said valves closed, a valve stem connected to each of said valves and projecting horizontally beyond the base, valve operating arms pivoted on the base, one of said arms engaging each of the valve stems, a keeper to hold said arms in engagement with the valve stems, an upward extending tubular neck formed on the base and connected at its lower end with the outlet chambers in the base, a rotatable keg support mounted on said neck and provided with upward extending keg supporting arms and with outward and downward extending valve operating lugs, each of which is adapted to engage its corresponding valve-operating arm when the keg support is rotated in the proper direction, whereby when the keg support is rotated in one direction one of the valves will be opened, and when it is rotated in the opposite direction the other valve will be opened, a pair ot' screw plugs in the base, each plug closing an opening into one of the inlet chambers, said plugs being larger in diameter than the valves and maintaining the valve springs in place.

3. A keg washing machine comprising a base having two inlet chambers and two outlet chambers, each inlet chamber being in communication with its outlet chamber, valves between said chambers, springs normally holding said valves closed, a valve stem connected to each of said valves and projecting horizontally beyond the base, valve operating arms pivoted on the hase, one of said arms engaging each of the valve stems, a keeper to hold said arms in eng: gement with the valve stems, an upward extending tubular neck formed on the base and connected at its lower end with the outlet chambers in the base, a rotatable keg support mounted on said neck and provided with upward extending keg supporting arms and with outward and downward extending valve operating lugs, each of which is adapted to engage its corresponding valve-operating arin when the keg support is rotated in the proper direction, whereby when the keg support is rotated in one di rection one of the valves will be opened, and when it is rotated in the opposite direction the other valve will be opened, and a stop on the base on the opposite side thereof trom the keeper and adapted to be engaged by the valve operating lug which is not in engagement with a valve operating arm when the keg support is rotated.

4. A keg washing machine comprising a base having an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, a valve between them. said valve being in the inlet chamber whereby the pressure in said chamber will force said valve to its seat, an outward extending horizontal valve stem connected to said valve and projecting beyond the base, a spring normally seating said valve, a horizontal valveoperating arm pivotod on the base and bearing against the end of the valve stem, a keeper to hold said arm in engagement with the valve stem, a rotatable keg support mounted on the base, a valve-operating lug carried by said keg support said lug bei-ng normally out of engagement with the operating arm but adapted to engage said arm and force it inward to open the valve when the keg support is rotated, and a nozzle connected to the outlet from the base and adapted to deliver the washing fluid into the keg.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature in the presence oi two witnesses this 20th day of December 1906.

GEORGE E. R. ROTHENBUCHER.

Witnesses WM. R. Davis, E. H. KAUFMANN.

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